Cole Sprouse and Lili Reinhart's Relationship Timeline

Riverdale costars Cole Sprouse and Lili Reinhart officially ended their off-screen relationship in March 2020

Cole Sprouse and Lili Reinhart first met while filming their hit CW teen drama, Riverdale, and dated off and on until March 2020.

After the show's premiere in January 2017, fans quickly noticed the couple's on-screen chemistry as Jughead Jones and Betty Cooper (sometimes referred to jointly as Bughead), but their real-life romance wasn't confirmed until they walked the Met Gala red carpet together in May 2018.

Related: Cole Sprouse Says Childhood Fame Is 'Trauma' — But He Can't 'Compare' His Journey to Young Women

The former Disney actor and the Hustlers star rarely spoke about their on-and-off relationship in interviews, though they often shared touching tributes to each other on social media. "It's not like I'm trying to dangle my relationship in front of people's faces like, 'You don't know anything about us,' " Reinhart told Teen Vogue in October 2018. "It's just, you don't need to know. People feel like they're owed that, and you're absolutely not owed anything by me."

"It's not something that we hide, or it's not something that we show off," Sprouse told GQ in February 2019. "It's just something that exists."

Following months of breakup rumors, the pair split for good in March 2020. Although Reinhart has removed most of the evidence of their relationship from her Instagram feed, the exes remain supportive costars and friends. Here's a complete breakdown of Cole Sprouse and Lili Reinhart's relationship.

March 2016: Lili Reinhart and Cole Sprouse film the pilot episode of Riverdale

While it's unclear exactly when Reinhart and Sprouse first met, the pilot episode of Riverdale was filmed in March 2016. "Lili was a tough egg to crack," Sprouse told Glamour in 2018, regarding his first impression of his costar. "She's very shy at first and reserved. I think it was about halfway into the first season she started letting people in truly."

Reinhart wasn't so sure about Sprouse either. "I thought his voice was annoying," she told Glamour. "I was like, 'That guy's got an annoying voice.' And now it's grown on me, I guess."

February 25, 2017: Cole Sprouse and Lili Reinhart spark relationship rumors

Fans pretty much started shipping Reinhart and Sprouse IRL after Riverdale premiered in January 2017. However, Sprouse first fanned the flames when he responded to a photo of Reinhart on Twitter in February, writing, "Tempt me!"

March 18, 2017: Cole Sprouse posts a photo of Lili Reinhart on Instagram

By March, fans were convinced "Sprousehart" was real after Sprouse shared a dreamy photo of his costar on Instagram.

July 22, 2017: Cole Sprouse and Lili Reinhart reportedly kiss at Comic-Con

In July 2017, PEOPLE reported that Reinhart was spotted wearing Sprouse's maroon blazer at Entertainment Weekly's Comic-Con Bash in San Diego. According to the report, the two were later seen "canoodling, holding hands and kissing."

January 2018: Cole Sprouse and Lili Reinhart vacation in Hawaii amid dating rumors

Sprouse and Reinhart happily posed with fans while vacationing in Hawaii in early January.

The pair were also photographed returning to Vancouver, where they reportedly signed autographs and took selfies with Riverdale fans at an airport after clearing customs.

April 2, 2018: Cole Sprouse and Lili Reinhart are photographed kissing in Paris

The actors were photographed kissing in public for the first time while in the City of Love, where they were attending Rivercon, a three-day Riverdale fan convention.

April 17, 2018: Cole Sprouse and Lili Reinhart share photos from a joint trip to Mexico

The Riverdale costars added fuel to the fire when they both shared photos from at Cuixmala, a 5-star hotel and resort located on Mexico's Pacific coast that bills itself as "perfect for vacations and romantic getaways."

Related: Cole Sprouse Says Riverdale Cast Is Ready for Show to End: 'Wrap It Up with a Bow'

On April 17, Sprouse, who is an avid photographer, shared a photo of Reinhart's shadow on his Instagram feed while Reinhart tagged Sprouse in her own post.

May 7, 2018: Cole Sprouse and Lili Reinhart make their couple debut at the Met Gala

After more than a year of speculation, the Riverdale costars went public with their relationship on the Met Gala red carpet. Reinhart made her Met Gala debut in a custom H&M dress made of silver lamé organza while Sprouse wore a long black coat and cropped trousers by Thom Browne.

August 4, 2018: Lili Reinhart declares her love for Cole Sprouse

Though Reinhart told Harper's Bazaar that she wasn't "going to talk about my love story" in July, she made her feelings crystal clear in a birthday tribute to Sprouse a month later.

"It seems as if the world would still be a stranger to me, if not for you. I'm so thankful that our paths intertwined to form this beautiful adventure," she wrote alongside a photo of Sprouse. "Happy birthday, my love."

September 13, 2018: Cole Sprouse calls Lili Reinhart his "muse" in a birthday tribute

To celebrate Reinhart's 22nd birthday, Sprouse shared an intimate photo of the actress. "Both the birthday and the gift," he captioned his photo. "My little muse, happy birthday my love."

October 2018: Lili Reinhart gives a rare interview about her relationship with Cole Sprouse

Five months after going public with their relationship, Reinhart opened up about their romance for Teen Vogue's October cover story. "I like to go on adventures with Cole," she told the publication. "Truly, adventures. He takes me to places where I'm like, 'How did you find this?' He's made me see these things that I would have never seen otherwise. It's escapism, which is so beautiful and wonderful."

November 2018: Lili Reinhart brings Cole Sprouse home for Thanksgiving

For their first Thanksgiving holiday as a couple, Reinhart took Sprouse home to spend time with her family. To commemorate the event, Reinhart shared multiple photos of Sprouse playing with her dogs on Instagram Stories.

February 14, 2019: Cole Sprouse and Lili Reinhart post sweet Valentine's Day tributes on Instagram

Though the couple was known for keeping their relationship private in interviews, Reinhart and Sprouse were more comfortable sharing their affection on Instagram. On Valentine's Day, Reinhart shared a smiling sunset selfie with Sprouse, writing, "You make me very happy. Happy Valentine's Day, my love."

Sprouse posted his own tribute to his girlfriend on Instagram with the caption, "Quite actually the only thing keeping me sane is @lilireinhart."

March 7, 2019: Cole Sprouse and Lili Reinhart share a rare moment of PDA on the red carpet

Reinhart gave Sprouse a sweet kiss on the cheek at the Los Angeles premiere of his movie, Five Feet Apart. The actress was all smiles in a pale blue-gray lace dress as she walked the carpet with Sprouse, who paired a black-and-white striped shirt with a black suit.

July 22, 2019: Cole Sprouse and Lili Reinhart reportedly split after two years

A few days after the pair reportedly kept their distance from each other at Entertainment Weekly's Comic-Con party in San Diego, Us Weekly and E! News reported that the couple called it quits.

Reinhart reportedly stuck close by costars Camila Mendes and Madelaine Petsch throughout Comic-Con, though she and Sprouse were seated next to each other during Riverdale's panel on July 21. "Please don't put me between these two ever again," she captioned a photo of her, Sprouse and KJ Apa on Instagram after the panel.

July 23, 2019: A source says Cole Sprouse and Lili Reinhart's relationship "felt super heavy" for "a while"

"Their friends didn't really expect them to last in the long-run," a source told PEOPLE. "At the end of the day, their personalities are very different and their lifestyles often clashed."

The source added, "Things have felt super heavy in the relationship for a while, and it got to be too much. They're both very professional though and trying to be as amicable and friendly as possible."

July 25, 2019: Cole Sprouse and Lili Reinhart spark confusion on Instagram

Just days after breakup reports, the Riverdale costars seem to deny their split on Instagram by sharing their joint cover of W Magazine on Instagram. "BREAKING: A reliable source has confirmed that none of you know s—," Reinhart wrote in her post, while Sprouse captioned the photo, "UNPRECEDENTED: Cole Sprouse and Lili Reinhart consume the flesh of 'reliable sources' to fuel their bacchanalian sex cult."

However, it's worth noting that the actors were interviewed separately for the cover story in May. "I'm so glad we're making your job more difficult," Sprouse told the interviewer with a laugh.

In her interview, Reinhart revealed that she initially wanted to be outspoken about their relationship, but Sprouse urged discretion."At first, I didn't want things private," Reinhart said. "Now that I'm X amount of years in, I do appreciate the privacy we have, that he's encouraged me to take. No one knows how long we've been together, and no one will until we're ready to say it. No one knows how we fell in love, except for our close friends and us. It's really special."

Sprouse explained that he was motivated by his desire to preserve their romance. "Until you go through the paces and the dating stages and know that something is right for you, I don't think it's appropriate to bring others in," he said. "But in all honesty, my own happiness and her happiness come before caring about what people are saying."

August 4, 2019: Lili Reinhart pens birthday poem for Cole Sprouse

After denying breakup rumors, Reinhart shared a "sappy" poem in honor of Sprouse's 27th birthday.

"I tried to find a poem that I could send to you. Because my words were failing me. But I searched and found nothing that did you justice," she wrote alongside a photo of Sprouse.

"All of these love poems can't get it right. No one else's words could ever fit. They haven't known the fortune it is to love you," the actress continued, before calling the tribute a "sappy nighttime birthday poem for @colesprouse."

Aug. 6, 2019: Cole Sprouse laughs off Lili Reinhart breakup rumors

While attending Variety's Power of Young Hollywood at The H Club Los Angeles, the Riverdale star told Entertainment Tonight that while he was "incredibly" annoyed over the recent breakup rumors, he was able to laugh them off.

"I don't care. That's the nature of our industry," Sprouse said. "I think you have to poke fun of it a little bit. It's kind of something you sign up for, but as long as can keep it light and fun, it's all good."

September 8, 2019: Lili Reinhart calls Cole Sprouse her "boyfriend" and teases joint Halloween costumes

Despite ongoing breakup rumors, Reinhart called Sprouse her "boyfriend" and discussed their plans to wear a couple's Halloween costume in an interview with Coveteur.

"I think I'm leaning in towards a character for Halloween," she said. "I think I'm going to do it with my boyfriend, Cole. I don't want to spoil it if it's not going to happen, but it's a TV duo."

September 13, 2019: Cole Sprouse shares PDA-filled photos in honor of Lili Reinhart's 23rd birthday

"Lil @lilireinhart was born on a Friday the 13th and haven't I just been so lucky ever since?" Sprouse captioned his Instagram tribute, which featured the couple embracing (and kissing) in a photo booth.

January 2020: Cole Sprouse and Lili Reinhart secretly separate

In an Instagram post shared in August 2020, Sprouse confirms he and Reinhart initially separated in January 2020. However, as far as the public knew at the time, the couple was still together.

March 2020: Cole Sprouse and Lili Reinhart privately make their split permanent

"​​Lili and I initially separated in January of this year, deciding to more permanently split in March," Sprouse would later write in the August Instagram post.

April 19, 2020: Cole Sprouse and Lili Reinhart call out fans on social media amid cheating and breakup rumors

Sprouse slammed "baseless accusations" in a lengthy Instagram story message on April 19. "I tolerate a lot of rumors and slander from people online claiming to be my fans. Fans who feel entitled to my privacy precisely because I never indulge them," he wrote. "But attacking my friends, baseless accusations, leaking my address and sending death threats are all qualities of insanity and fanaticism."

Sprouse didn't say exactly what he was referring to, but earlier in the week rumors began circulating on social media that the actor had cheated on Reinhart. He called out followers again with another message a few days later, writing, "When I first stepped into a public relationship this was one of the foreseeable consequences. And while I truly never intended to indulge any part of my private life to the ravenous horde, it's clear my restraint in updating them has allowed them to push their own agenda onto my habits and lifestyle."

He continued, "So in conclusion — please eat my delectable plump ass. (Making me post a g—damn white font insta story like a twice divorced mother of three.)"

Reinhart also shared a message of her own in a since-deleted tweet. "Twitter is actually the most toxic form of social media," she wrote on Twitter, according to Seventeen. "People are a—— for the sake of being a——. Do you not understand karma? It's fine if you don't, you'll understand when it bites your miserable a—."

The actress also reportedly shared on her Instagram Story: "Dear everyone on social media, Don't put down people for the sake of putting them down. Don't be a f—— asshole. The world doesn't need anymore of that s—."

May 25, 2020: PEOPLE confirms Lili Reinhart and Cole Sprouse have split

In May, a source told PEOPLE that the on-and-off couple was "currently not together."

August 18, 2020: Lili Reinhart denies referencing her breakup with Cole Sprouse in an interview

In August, Reinhart discussed facing her depression "head-on" during the pandemic in an interview with Refinery29. "The last couple of months have probably [been] the most emotional few months of my entire life and my therapist [told] me, 'Your body's going through withdrawal from love. You're used to having this exchange of happy chemicals between you and the person that you're with,' " the actress said, in part. "In moments of my life, I have dropped every ounce of pride that I had just to be like, 'Love me. Please take the pain away for a day, a second, an hour,' just so I can feel that fix again."

However, after fans related the interview to her rumored breakup with Sprouse, Reinhart clarified her words on Twitter. "Quotes taken from my most recent interview are not about a 'breakup,' " she wrote. "They are about the depression I've felt over these last few months. Tired of people taking my words out of context and piecing together their own story for clickbait."

Reinhart continued, "I would never speak so candidly about something as personal as a breakup. That's incredibly private. I was addressing my depression."

August 19, 2020: Cole Sprouse confirms his breakup with Lili Reinhart

In a rare public statement about their relationship, Sprouse confirmed he and Reinhart split in March after separating in January. "What an incredible experience I had, I'll always feel lucky and cherish that I had the chance to fall in love," he wrote. "I wish her nothing but the utmost love and happiness moving forward. All I'll say about it, anything else you hear doesn't matter."

He ended his post by promoting his ex's Amazon film, Chemical Hearts. "Also her movie comes out soon! I'm sure she's just as incredible in it as everything else she does," he added. "Thanks guys. ❤️"

March 31, 2022: Cole Sprouse calls his previous relationship with Lili Reinhart "as real as it gets"

In an interview with GQ, Sprouse shared that fans of "Sprousehart" have reacted poorly to his current relationship with French-Canadian model Ari Fournier. Still, despite any negativity and feeling "forced" to discuss Reinhart in interviews, he described his former relationship as "as real as it gets."

March 8, 2023: Cole Sprouse reflects on his "hard" split from Lili Reinhart

Sprouse spoke about his breakup with Reinhart on an episode of the Call Her Daddy podcast.

"It was really hard. It was really hard for both of us," the actor said. "I think the work thing got difficult because it was hard to suspend all the way we felt about each other and it didn't afford us the luxury of distance to really overcome that. I know we both did quite a bit of damage to each other in that."

He went on to say that he and Reinhart are "good friends now," adding that they "work really well together."

August 15, 2023: Cole Sprouse says he and Lili Reinhart received death threats after their breakup

In an interview with Vulture, Sprouse shared that he and Reinhart got concerning threats from fans after announcing their split in 2020.

“I get a lot of stuff sent to my house or my loved ones’ houses. Death threats, really nasty, honestly criminal stuff,” he said.

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